We’ve been seeing an increase in reports of timeshare resale scams impacting area residents. Timeshare resale scams often begin when a phony vacation property company reaches out to a timeshare owner claiming to have guaranteed buyers and promising hefty returns for their timeshare. The company stresses that they must move quickly and be willing to […]
IRS Lowers 2018 Family Health Savings Account Contribution Limit to $6850
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced a reduced Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution rate for families with High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). The 2018 maximum family contribution rate will be $6850 instead of the $6900 limit that had previously been announced. The maximum self contribution for 2018 will remain $3450. The IRS has cited recent tax changes […]
Rising Incidents of Online Dating Scams
An increasing number of consumers are being targeted in new and sophisticated scams involving online dating. In such instances, unsuspecting victims are being forced into sending money- sometimes thousands of dollars – to criminals through PayPal or other well-known online payment services. In our area, there have been reports of victims having long-term conversations with […]
Increasing Occurrences of Social Media Fraud
There has been an increase in fraud involving social media, such as Facebook, in our local area. After a victim is friended by a scammer, the scammer goes out of his/her way to establish a friendship that the victim deems as legitimate. A lot of times, the scammer will take advantage of the good-naturedness of […]
Know How Scammers Find Victims to Protect Yourself
Scammers find their targets through many sources, though the following avenues are most common, according to the American Bankers Association. Purchasing contact information: scammers can easily purchase survey responses, buy email contact lists, magazine subscription lists and organization membership lists. Using that information, they are able to setup robo-calls, send mass mailings or create email […]
Check Cashing Crimes on the Rise
A number of consumers have recently reported instances of fraudulent purchases as a result of stolen identification. Authorities have identified that many of these purchases were made by the Felony Lane Gang, a criminal organization which operates across the country, and is now targeting the New England region. The Felony Lane Gang is a sophisticated […]
Bogus Casting Calls from Fictitious Digital Media Company
A common mode for fraudsters to gain access to people’s personal information and money is to offer work opportunities and/or send a large check for them to deposit and then wire some of the money back. Because the checks are fraudulent, the victim loses the money that they’ve wired out – and may put themselves […]
Beware of False Fundraising Campaigns
An unfortunate common approach that fraudsters use is to misrepresent that they are selling advertising for local schools, first responders, non-profits and even for-profit businesses. For instance, local businesses and consumers have reported to receiving suspicious solicitations for advertisements in false educational materials from local schools about drug and alcohol prevention. These requests were made […]
Payments May Post to Your Account Faster After September 15
An upcoming change in the way payments are processed will allow electronic ACH debits under $25,000 (excluding international transactions) to go through on the same day you pay them. This processing change, effective September 15, may reduce the time between when you make a transaction and when it clears your account. To meet the needs […]
Equifax Announces Security Breach Affecting Nearly Half of All Americans
Equifax, one of the nation’s top three credit reporting agencies, confirmed its systems were recently affected by a cyber security incident, impacting upwards of 143 million people. This incident has potentially exposed sensitive data for those affected, including names, dates of birth, addresses, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc. The credit reporting agency has […]